The Strongest Under the Heavens
by kuzon77
Summary: The Ultimate cross-over tournament imaginable! Dragonball Z! Star Wars! Naruto! InuYasha! Avatar! What more could anyone want? -Re-visted, revamped and rejuvenated! I'm BACK PEOPLE! Chapter III UPLOADED! Read it, muthafuckas!
1. The Power of the Universe Part I

Hey fanfiction readers! About a year ago, this story hit a wall when it's author was distracted. I apologise for the ridiculously long wait, but as promised, The Strongest Under the Heavens is now being re-written and revamped to a new level. There's much more content, depth to the story and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own any of the characters portrayed in this fan fiction except for any original characters that may appear.

**The Strongest Under the Heavens**

**Chapter I**

**The Power of the Universe Part I**

"_**We struggle, we fight, we die. In times of desperation we go to such lengths to protect what is precious to us from the wicked. Divided we are strong...together, we are unstoppable. We are on the front lines. We risk all. We stand united in the face of the enemy and engage him head-on! With the power of the universe, we stand strong together!"**_

In a picturesque mountainous scene, a waterfall poured into a small stone-lined pond. A scruffy-looking teen in frayed overalls and a straw hat sat on a large rock in the middle with a home-made fishing rod. His eyes were drooped with a combination of boredom and tiredness. Suddenly he felt a nibble on his line. The nibble became a solid bite and his line tightened and pulled against his rod. The boy's eye's widened in mild surprise and sudden anticipation. His brow furrowed in concentration and his mind fixed on the task at the thought of catfish for dinner. The boy pulled hard on his line and out of the water came a sizeable catfish, flailing in every direction as the prospect of being cooked and eaten for dinner dawned on it's mind. The struggle was ended when the boy had the fish completely out of water and held it by the line in one hand. He grinned from ear to ear as his stomach started to rumble.

But after a few seconds, the boy realised that the noise was not his own stomach. His smile faded slowly when he noticed ripples beginning to form in the water. Slowly at first, but they grew more violently and the rumbling grew more loudly.

"What the hell...?" Started the boy. At first he thought that the noise could be a jet aircraft, as there was an airbase further to the south. But it was Sunday, and he knew that all the airmen were at home with their families. The airbase NEVER had manoeuvres on Sundays. Then the rumbling grew to an almost deafening volume. The ground shook and the water splashed violently. Rocks from an adjacent cliff face began to fall. The boy squinted into the distance and saw a streak of blue on the horizon. As quickly as the boy saw it, the streak rocketed right passed the boy, causing him to fall backwards off of the rock and into the water, with the catfish swimming towards freedom. The sudden vacuum caused by the streak of blue breaking the speed of sound caused a massive rush of wind. All of the surrounding trees bent double and dirt flew. And quicker than it had started, it was over. The teen was left sitting in the drink with a look of astonishment.

"What the hell...?" He had no idea what had just happened, but now he had to find something else for dinner.

The blue streak was already nearly a hundred miles away by the time it took the boy to utter those words. That blue streak turned out to be a young man in his mid-twenties with messy jet black hair and a stern expression on his face. The man's name was Son Gohan, the son of one of the last remaining Saiyans; an alien humanoid race that was born and bred to fight. They had supernatural powers that boggled the imagination of the average man. Son Gohan happened to be an exceptionally powerful individual. His ancestors would be proud of his prowess. But that was not what was on his mind. Gohan was racing as fast as he could towards Dende's lookout, the sanctuary of the Guardian of Earth which was located in the upper atmosphere. Despite being able to fly faster than the speed of sound, he willed himself to try and fly faster. Cold sweat was forming on his forehead despite his strained muscles. His world was a blur of motion, but his eyes still managed to catch another blue streak on the horizon. Gohan instantly felt the other streak's presence and knew it's identity. He slowed his pace slightly and allowed the other supersonic being to approach his trajectory and fly in formation with his. The other person flew right next to him, and as the man's face came into view along side him, his trademark scowl was a give-away.

"Vegeta..." muttered Gohan, his voice heard only by himself over the rushing air. Vegeta was in his forties, but his Saiyan blood allowed him to retain his youth in order to fight. Vegeta, like Gohan also was privileged with Saiyan heritage, but unlike the younger warrior, he was different on two accounts. Vegeta was a full-blooded Saiyan, having survived the genocide of his people. The major difference was the fact that Vegeta was a member of the former Saiyan royal family making him an elite warrior by default. Vegeta and Gohan exchanged glances of recognition of each other, neither uttering a word in the desperate moment. Not thirty seconds later, three other streaks approached Gohan and Vegeta from the mountains from the East. Gohan counted one white streak and two yellow-gold. Gohan became slightly happier when the kind face of Son Goku came into view along with Goten and Trunks. Goku was Gohan's father and the only other full-blooded Saiyan like Vegeta. Goten (Gohan's younger brother) and Trunks were best friends and currently over-straining themselves in order to keep up with their adult comrades, having powered up to the signature golden glow of Super Saiyan. Goten and Trunks also happened to be the respective sons of Goku and Vegeta. Five supersonic streaks of light flew through the upper atmosphere side-by-side, they could have been easily mistaken for a formation of jet aircraft (Which was no accident, the general population had no idea that a dozen superman-like people inhabited and protected the planet).

The five warriors knifed through the air and over the horizon they approached a massive structure perched on top of a thin tower. This was Dende's Lookout. It sat on top of Korin's Tower, and was the tallest structure on the plant (unbeknownst to most people) and towered into the upper atmosphere. It was home to the Guardian of Earth, Dende, and it allowed him to see everyone and everything on the planet. The five warriors slowed as they approached and landed with a light thud onto the ground. The poplar tree-lined sanctuary was not only taken up to the five Saiyans, however. The Guardian of Earth himself, Dende, was standing at the entrance to the inner sanctum holding the Guardian's Cane and observing them as they landed among other waiting warriors. The five Saiyans were not the first to arrive. Standing waiting for them were the other remaining people that made up the world's strongest and their families. What made them special was their diversity and determination. Immediately the man that stood out most was Tien Shinhan. At nearly six-foot five, he towered over the rest and was sporting his traditional Crane School training pants and shirtless combo. Tien was a triclops and tied as the world's strongest human with Yamcha, the average-looking man standing next to him wearing the Turtle School orange gi. Hunched over and supporting his weight on his small cane was Master Roshi, the teacher and mentor of every warrior present (save for Vegeta, Trunks and Goten). Standing at around 4 and a half feet tall was the shortest member of the group – Krillin. His orange gi signified his status as a student of Roshi, sharing the clothing with Goku and Yamcha. His small stature was not to be mistaken for weakness, and his bald head, usually waxed, was covered in a nervous sweat. Standing beside Yamcha was his former lover (and current wife of Vegeta) Bulma Briefs, the genius blue-haired daughter of a technology company CEO and the oldest friend of Son Goku. Sitting on Tien's shoulder was his tiny companion Chiaotzu, though he was human, his small stature and attire made him look like an over-sized doll. Each warrior and hanger-on nodded to each other, exchanging grave looks.

"We should prepare ourselves." said Dende, breaking the silence brought on by the situation. As the Guardian of Earth, it was his responsibility to protect the planet with any resource he possessed. And the world's strongest warriors were the Earth's trump card, since he was anything but a warrior himself. Dende was a native of the planet Namek, home to green skinned humanoids that naturally possessed significant power that exceeded any normal human. Though he was younger than most of the people present, he was wise and a just guardian that would have made the former guardian proud. Speak of the devil, another Namek made his presence known as he walked out of the entrance to the inner sanctum. Standing at over seven feet tall, Piccolo was the embodiment of three formally separate warriors (As it was a special ability of Namekiens to merge in order to combine powers). Piccolo was carrying a duffel bag slung over his shoulder which he promptly dropped onto the ground in front of everyone.

"I brought them." he said simply in his deep voice. The duffel bag was half open and a soft orange glow emanated from it.

"I'll do the honours..." said Dende, his voice a dead whisper. Every man, woman and child present exchanged glances. Everyone knew that the situation was dire enough to warrant the use of the eternal dragon, but they never had gotten used to summoning him. Shen Long, the Eternal Dragon was a mythical wish-granting being who's powers transcended the norm. Shen Long could resurrect the dead, tear through dimensions and perform tasks that are otherwise impossible.

This loose collection of diverse people had scrambled to Dende's Lookout in response to a warning from the Guardian of Earth (Dende himself). Earth's strongest warriors had been called into action when Dende had received news that something was on it's way to Earth – and that something was not friendly. Gohan remembered Frieza, the insanely powerful overlord who's family ruled over an entire portion of the galaxy. In Gohan's youth his father defeated the tyrant and his massive army that had been comprised of hundreds of thousands of powerful soldiers had been rendered leaderless. Frieza's army had originally been formed to compensate for the saiyans (Goku's entire race were once the army of Frieza) and their genocide. Frieza, in his paranoia, had held back the potential power of his army. Without Frieza, the army thrived and had now become exponentially more powerful. The former army had become an organised piracy/terrorist organisation. Each and every member had now become more powerful than that of the former overlord. While that does not sound scary, it must be noted that Frieza, a single being no bigger than a man, was powerful enough to destroy an entire planet by barely lifting a finger. And all twenty-thousand surviving members were headed straight for Earth.

True, each and every member of Earth's secretive fighting force was now much more powerful than Frieza, but twenty-thousand enemies at once was a bit of a stretch! But with the addition of the eternal dragon and his power preventing the enemy from reaching the Earth's surface, the planet might just stand a chance. While Shen Long was pretty much all-powerful, he had restrictions. Shen Long could not grant a wish that exceeded his creator's power (Dende). The plan was to trap all of the enemy soldiers in the Time Soul Room; an alternate dimension in which time passes differently. The entrance to this dimension was once in the depths of the Lookout, but it had been destroyed about four years ago. But Shen Long was more than capable of hurling people through dimensions. With the enemy trapped in the Time Soul Room, they could be dealt with without any repercussions on Earth.

"Please remind me why we can't just leave them in there?" whined Krillin.

"Because if even one is powerful enough to escape the dimension, we're in trouble." Advised Piccolo, his voice gruff with impatience at the much shorter warrior's cowardice.

"So it's decided: As soon as Frieza's Army appears, we use the dragon to move all of us to the Time Soul Room, then move us back when we've taken care of them." Goku summarised the plan they had hastily thrown together.

"Agreed, but it must be done quickly! We don't know how that accursed room has reacted since you blew up the only stable entrance." Said Vegeta through gritted teeth, indicating toward Piccolo.

"Grrrrr..." Grunted Piccolo. A few years ago, Piccolo trapped a great evil in the Time Soul Room, but it was somehow powerful enough to tear a hole in the dimension anyway. None of them wanted to repeat this mistake, so it was decided to relocate the battlefield to where there were no innocent people to exposed to the destruction. The big difference between this battle and any that became before it was the fact that they had pulled every able-bodied warrior they knew into the conflict. Even Master Roshi, the long-retired mentor of Goku and Krillin, had been called up for this fight. Also as a precaution, the families and friends of the fighters present had been brought to the Lookout for protection from the Guardian of Earth himself.

"Master Roshi, are you sure you're up for this?" asked Krillin, his voice still slightly shaky from the anticipation of the oncoming bloodbath.

"Are you kidding? I haven't had a good challenge since the Tenkaichi Budokai (World Martial Arts Tournament)! I've been slacking off for twenty five years!" While Roshi was the original teacher of about half of the present warriors, he had been surpassed by even Krillin by the time they had all reached their early twenties. Ever since Vegeta had first arrived on Earth, Roshi's power had been eclipsed by his students. He had fallen behind in strength, speed and power. But unbeknownst to his former pupils, he had been training himself in secret just in case he would be needed again. He had guessed right when only a few weeks ago he was informed of the approaching hostile army of the deceased overlord. Thankfully, he had prepared himself well. Ever since his pupils and their friends had in turn passed on his teachings to the next generation (Trunks, Gohan and Goten) he (along with Piccolo) had shifted their roles from warrior to mentor. But all that had now changed. He was more than capable of keeping up with the weaker members of Z Warriors (ie: Krillin, Yamcha and Tien). Roshi's sunglasses flickered in the glare of the sun for a moment before a new, much brighter light suddenly flared into existence in the atmosphere above them.

"THEY'RE HERE!" exclaimed Piccolo, his rough voice echoing into the upper atmosphere. Just as the tall warrior's words had escaped his lips, everyone could feel the collective life energy and spiritual power of the enemy. It was monstrous. Crushing. The feeling of so many powerful individuals concentrated into one place made the air thick enough to cut with a blade. Bulma, Chichi and Oolong wailed at the sight of hundreds of massive starships entering the local space of Earth. The ships were huge, each easily able to accommodate a whole city, and they were all equipped with weapons powerful enough to lay waste to whole planets much larger than Earth. Though this use of weapons was unnecessary, as most of the higher-ranking members of the enemy force (Some of them original members of Frieza's Army) were more than capable of obliterating entire planets all by themselves.

Dende and his assistant Mr. Popo rushed to get the non-combatant families and friends of the Z Warriors. They hurried into the Inner Sanctum and under the protection of the Guardian of Earth. As they did so, the Z Warriors turned their collective attention to the enemy while Piccolo turned his to the Dragon Balls.

"Hurry Piccolo! Summon the dragon!" Shouted Goku. He wanted to take out as much of the enemy fleet before they reached the planet's surface. Piccolo complied with haste, he tore open the bag and shouted to the heavens.

"Eternal Dragon! I summon you in the name of the Guardian of Earth by your true name! Shen Long!" The effect was immediate. The azure sky of Earth darkened as the mystical life energy of the supernatural dragon known as Shen Long collected into the local airspace above the Lookout. Static electricity surged through the air. Lightning flared out of nowhere as a sudden electric storm brought on by the immense ki of the dragon taking form. The seven dragon balls glowed brightly and pulsated as the first ships of the enemy fleet breached the upper atmosphere.

The air was stiff and tense as the bridge main computer was filled with the ambient light of the small planet. The ship's captain, a member of an alien species that resembled lizards, observed the monitor of the closest bridge technician seated next to him.

"We are entering the upper atmosphere, captain." announced a higher-ranking crew member. The captain glanced at the bridge observation window. The blue sky of the planet was darkening for some reason. Were the engine thrusters having an effect on the local atmosphere?

"Sir! We're picking up an massive energy spike! Power Level is off the charts!" exclaimed another technician behind the captain. The captain's eyes grew wide with shock. How could anything in existence be powerful enough to render the power gauge invalid? They had all been adjusted to accommodate something many thousands of times more powerful than Frieza. On this scale, whatever power the gauge was detecting, it's owner was more than capable of destroying an entire quadrant of the galaxy with the wave of a finger. This worried the captain.

"Proceed on-course! Nothing stands in the way of the empire! Hard to Starboard! Engage that signal and open all port-side guns with auto-targeting!" Commanded the captain, radiating authority. The busy sound of many buttons and electrical beeps began to sound as dozens of computers were operated in order to comply with the captain's orders.

Piccolo had just finished uttering his words to summon the dragon as the closest ship broke off from the fleet and turned to face the lookout broadside.

"They're about to attack! Everybody prepare for assault!" yelled Vegeta as he tightened his gloves and tensed his muscles, preparing to fire off a blast of energy.

"Vegeta, try to buy the dragon some time by taking out that ship!" exclaimed Piccolo.

"I'm already on it, Namek! Give me a second!" Grunted the Saiyan prince as his whole body tensed up with the sudden rush of ki. Vegeta could sense that the enemy ship was shielded with a particle barrier, much like the old capital ships of Frieza's Army, though they had obviously become much more advanced since he had last seen a capital ship. Vegeta guessed that breaching a particle shield of this level required a blast of significant force, about the amount required to obliterate a small moon. Nothing that the prince couldn't handle, but he sensed something off about the ship, it gave off a feeling of impenetrability, being somehow tougher than it looked. Vegeta dismissed the feeling and powered up. He raised his hand and pointed it directly at the enemy ship. Vegeta grunted with slight effort and launched a comet-shaped blast at the ship's broadside. The arc of destructive energy rocketed toward the ship at breakneck speed. The ship seemed undaunted at the approaching bolt of power. It didn't even slow down. Vegeta's eyes widened with disbelief as his blast of energy was simply absorbed by the ship's particle shield.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" exclaimed the prince, uncharacteristicly dropping his arrogant aristocratic composure. He didn't even make a dent in the ship's hull, let alone destroy it!

Back on the bridge of the ship in question, the captain chuckled smugly. How foolish for the enemy. All of the fleet was guarded by the very latest in energy-resistant technology. That blast was nowhere near powerful enough to even make a hole in the smallest one-manned ship of the fleet. But despite the enemy's apparent lack of fire-power, he was still concerned by the huge enemy power-level readings.

"Prepare to launch an intimidation volley from the Long Nines!" Announced the Captain.

"At once, Captain!" Responded a crew member.

Back on Dende's Lookout, the Z Warriors collective gasped and tensed as the ship fired a massive volley of many thousand blasts of energy right at them. But right at that moment, a massive surge of golden energy laced with lightning surged from the Dragon Balls and snaked through the sky, taking the form of the Eternal Dragon. Shen Long appeared in the sky in all his glory, right between Dende's Lookout and the incoming enemy fire.

"!" The Dragon's terrifying roar echoed throughout the heavens as the enemy fire came into contact with him. The Dragon was slightly amused at this situation. He had never before been summoned only to be attacked by someone. It was no matter, however. The enemy's futile assault was useless against him, with the energy dissipating as it touched him, just as fire was extinguished in the presence of water. No one had ever been foolish enough to attack the eternal dragon. In response to the enemy that dared to attack him, Shen Long's ruby-red eyes glowed as they glared directly at the ship. His eyes shone like the sun and the effect was immediate. Shen Long's already open mouth became a volcano of light. The divine assault came into contact with the offending starship and it was instantly obliterated. The resulting shock wave rocked the entire Lookout to it's core, but it's inhabitants were more than grateful for the Dragon's help.

"WHOM AWAKENS ME FROM MY SLEEP? TELL ME THY WISHES AND THEY SHALL BECOME REALISED!" boomed the colossal beast. Vegeta, though still stunned from his futile efforts to bring down the enemy ship, was the first to speak.

"Eternal Dragon! Hear my wish! Remove all of the individuals from the approaching fleet and place them into the dimension known as the Time Soul Room along with us! But follow with us so that we are able to use out second wish to return back to Earth after we have finished with them!" Vegeta had the details down to the letter. He had spoken the exact wish that everyone had agreed upon without missing a beat, despite everyone else's awe at the sheer size of the enemy fleet. This wish was the best alternative to wishing for the deaths of all of the enemy soldiers (Despite all his power, the eternal dragon was NOT capable of killing that many individuals of such diversity and strength). The dragon regarded Vegeta for a moment. It was not the first time he had seen the Saiyan , but it was the first time he had seen the man voice such noble intentions.

"Everyone, prepare for a stand, this is going to be intense!" Cried Goku, easily taking the initiative and snapping into fighting stance, ready to be instantly battle-ready when he had been transported to the Time Soul Room. Piccolo grunted and followed suit while Tien and Yamcha flexed their muscles that had become stiff from worry. Krillin groaned as he thought of the upcoming slaughter. Roshi looked remarkable calm and collected, while the youngsters of the group's actions could not be more different. Gohan's jaw was set with determination. Trunks was uncharacteristically serious with his brow furrowed in concentration and apprehension. Goten, always energetic, was performing warm-up stretches and loosening up his joints, but he didn't look all that worried (he almost never did).

"VERY WELL. I SHALL MOVE ALL OF YOU TO THE DIMESNION CALLED THE TIME SOUL ROOM! I CANNOT GO THERE MYSELF, BUT I AM ABLE TO TELEPATHICALLY SENSE WHEN YOU ARE READY TO MOVE BACK HERE. A SECOND WISH IS NOT REQUIRED TO MOVE YOU BACK. THY WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED!" As the dragon boomed that last sentence, his eyes shone once more, and all of the star ships (which were all now inside the atmosphere) promptly disappeared, leaving all of their inhabitants floating in mid air.

About five hundred metres above the Lookout, another ship captain floated aloft, wide-eyed and shuddering in utter disbelief.

"W-w-w-what the fuck?" gasped the captain, his crew surrounding him, all wearing the same expression. But before any of the twenty-thousand strong warriors crowded above the Lookout could react, they promptly vanished in a flash of light. A second later, the Z Warriors followed suit.

The first chapter revised, renewed and re-written is finally here. But now there's a lot more to the story than originally planned. Watch this space for updates! Subscribe and Review!


	2. The Power of the Universe Part II

Welcome back, readers. Here is the second chapter, still following our friends from Dragon Ball Z and their associated shenanigans. Sit back and enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is a product not affiliated with me in any way, it is NOT mine. The only thing I can call my own is a pile of debt from student loans. Dragon Ball Z is a product created by Akira Toriyama and is distributed by Toei Animation, FUNimation, and Madman Entertainment.

The Strongest Under the Heavens

Chapter II

The Power of the Universe Part II

Empty. Void. Blank. These were the best words to describe the Time Soul Room. It was a dimension filled with a white void, with only basic physics and the ruins of what used to be the only entrance. The Time Soul Room had been used in the past by the Z Warriors for intense training. This dimension happened to have special relationship with Earth's flow of time. One day on Earth was the equivalent of three years in this place. That meant anyone had all the time in the world to get something done without having to worry about the repercussions on Earth. But now, it was anything but empty. Thousands of soldiers, captains, generals and officers stood blinking in awe and disbelief.

"Am I... dead?" gasped one soldier.

"Wh-wh-wh-where are we?" stammered another.

"_Why are we here...? This doesn't seem like the afterlife..._" thought a captain, one of the few managing to keep their cool.

Before the army could do anything, the Z Warriors blinked into existence. One by one, they appeared in a flash of light, standing in line facing the hoard of enemies before them with unblinking determination. All prepared for the onslaught to come.

"They must be the enemy! Kill them! They brought us here to die!" Shouted a soldier from the crowd.

"They mean to defy the empire! Destroy them!" Called an officer.

The crowd roared in an upsurge of rowdy killing-intent. They broke their positions and rushed forward towards the ten individuals that dared to stand against them. Piccolo cracked his knuckles and neck, loosening up his joints. Yamcha snapped into fighting stance along side Tien and Goku. Vegeta smirked and relished in the anticipation of the imminent bloodbath. Roshi just stood there, his cane lying on the ground, his stance neutral and unassuming. The youngsters, Trunks and Goten had already powered up into Super Saiyan and tensed as the hoard of enemies approached.

"Lookin' good, Tien!" teased Yamcha, as he always did. Tien ignored the former bandit and didn't even take his eyes off the enemy.

"Let's do this thing..." he mumbled to himself.

A second later, the hoard was only about twenty metres away from them, and Z Warriors launched themselves at the enemy at breakneck speed. Vegeta pulled back slightly and fired off a barrage of ki blasts, each bolt exploding on impact as it reached it's target. On initial contact with Earth's special forces, nearly two hundred were instantly dead. Vegeta smirked, he always counted his targets and confirmed kills with relish. He had killed twice the number of soldiers as his rival, Goku. The youngsters, Trunks and Goten whizzed around in Super Saiyan mode furiously firing off blasts of energy and ploughing straight through some enemies. Tien Shinhan was in a fistfight with six adversaries at once, easily handling them by using their own attacks against them and only striking them if need be. He ducked as a bruiser twice as tall as he was (and Tien himself was well over six feet tall, making this soldier considerably tall) tried to make a connection between the back of his head and his fist. The sloppy hay maker missed and instead found it's mark in the midsection of a fellow soldier, causing the unfortunate victim to fly backward and onto his back with his internal organs disrupted and bleeding from the g-forces that were more than capable of shattering concrete. Tien replied to the failed attack with a quick blast from his hand, right into the enemy's face and frying his cranium before the blast detonated, blowing his head clean off before it disintegrated and left the giant headless. Tien was already working on taking down the next half dozen soldiers before the headless giant's smouldering corpse even hit the ground with a thud. He broke the nose of another offending soldier and broke the spine of his neighbour, splintering it into several pieces with one well-placed elbow strike.

Goku wore an expression of calm determination as he steadily took out one opponent after another by disabling their central nervous systems with strikes to their necks and throats, allowing Yamcha to finish off the immobile soldiers easily. He took out one, and then another, but noticed that about fifty soldiers had decided to make their way to him at once, singling him out as a particular threat. Goku channelled his ki to his core and released it in a sudden burst of energy, creating a shock wave that instantly killed the bulk of the enemies surrounding him and wounding the survivors. Goku finished them off with Yamcha, ending their lives with a quick and painless blast to their heads, snuffing them out before they could even comprehend what had just happened to them. Roshi demonstrated his masterful skills of traditional Turtle Style martial arts as he kept the enemy soldiers on their toes, using his trademark sweeping techniques and firing off the occasional blast of energy. Piccolo roared as he brutally splintered enemies into broken forms, knifing through the hoard and terrifying many with his demon-like appearance. Gohan continually fired off blasts of energy, preferring to use ranged attacks and to cover his comrades. He grunted with effort and he scowled as he kept up the barrage to cover Goku and Yamcha, thinning out the enemy before they managed to get to his father. Krillin covered Tien, trying to take out the enemy soldiers with the much taller warrior. Vegata, however, proved to be most brutal of the group as always. He sadistically sliced through a soldier's chest before ramming his entire arm right through an officer's midsection, leaving the blue-skinned alien wide-eyed and coughing up blood before passing out from shock. The Saiyan prince smirked and raised his outstretched hand right in front of another soldier's face, enjoying his shocked expression before unleashing a blast that vaporised him. He threw the lifeless corpse of the blue alien into one of his comrades before letting loose a particularly powerful blast at the thick of the incoming hoard,

"BIG BANG ATTACK!" he shouted, firing a massive ball that created a blast roughly the equivalent of a small nuclear detonation. With this attack from Vegeta, the first wave of enemies was dead or dying. But they were mere grunts – the lowest of the low and the weakest amongst the army's ranks. Vegeta noticed that right at the back of the huge army was a hundred or so officers that stood back from the group. Being a former member of Frieza's army himself, Vegeta instantly recognised the officers as high-ranking generals and field captains.

"So... they have proven themselves more powerful than the average natives..." muttered a general, his experience reasoning with the situation. He was a veteran from Frieza's old army, during that days when the Saiyans were still a part of the overlord's fighting force. He regarded the sadistic tactics of one warrior as he brutally slashed his way through the grunts. He had definitely seen this man before, but he couldn't put a name to his face.

"_Zarbon..._" thought the general, thinking back to his earlier days when Freiza was still very much alive. He was a major back then, but he distinctly remembered the words of Frieza's right-hand man – Zarbon – before he departed for Namek.

~Flashback~

"Frieza is making a trip to some tiny planet called Namek. Apparently he overheard our little monkey prince as he came across something that could be of some use to us..." Zarbon was chatting with his old academy comrade, the now-general, about fifteen years ago. "Vegeta has his uses, it seems..." Muttered Zarbon.

~End Flashback~

"_Vegeta...the survivor..."_ thought the general. His eyes widened at a sudden realisation. "_That's him!_" This general knew Vegeta by his appearance. It was hard to forget the son of the King of Saiyans. He had not laid eyes on the arrogant Saiyan for nearly twenty years, but his face was unmistakable. His fighting style was unique to Saiyans, but the degree in which he excelled in Saiyan combat showed his elite heritage and training; indicative of personal attention from the Saiyan Elite and even the deceased king himself.

"So this mud-ball of a planet is where he disappeared to..." muttered the green-skinned general, catching the attention of his comrades beside him. The general's scouter went into overdrive, scanning through the crowd to get a fix on the power levels of the enemy. The scouter focussed on Vegeta, reading a massive power-level that registered off the scale. Thankfully, the huge spike of energy didn't cause the scouter to malfunction. The signal was transmitted to all of the other generals and field captains, however, informing all of them of the fire they were playing with.

"Send in company four! Squad Delta-nine move to sector coordinates 3-7-9-2!" roared another general into his earpiece, directing the elite soldiers towards Vegeta. "Prepare mortars and tracking missiles! Fire crews deploy sector coordinates 1-5-3-8!" The corresponding soldiers and crews scrambled to complete their given instructions. The well-trained elites had already moved into position by them time the green-skinned general had counted five seconds on his timepiece. Efficient as always. He gave the next order, catching on with what the other general had in mind.

"Company! Engage the Saiyan!" ordered the green-skinned general. The soldiers didn't hesitate, they flew themselves at Vegeta, hurling all manner of explosives and blasts of energy at the single man. Meanwhile, the mortal crews and missile teams were waiting for orders. They didn't have to wait for long.

"Mortars! Walking barrage! Trajectory seventy-five to twenty! Grind them to dust!" Ordered the general. The mortars fired immediately, with well over two-thousand mortars airborne within two seconds, with every one of their resulting explosions heading straight for Goku and Yamcha's position.

"Missiles! Lock-on to targets six and seven! Keep them distracted!" barked the general, ordering another ranged attack. "FIRE!" Four tracking missiles launched into the air and began tracking Goten and Trunks, who were still flying around and attacking the army from above. These were known as Blizzard Missiles, each one capable of demolishing a moon without too much trouble, and now Goten and Trunks had two each to deal with.

"Goten! Lookout!" Warned Trunks as he dodged one missile and blew up another; shouting to his comrade as two missiles tailed him. Goten merely grinned at the new challenge.

"Amateurs..." He muttered to himself, grinning from ear to ear. He redoubled his efforts to speed up and allowed the missiles to follow him. The missiles' on-board navigation systems recognised the change in the target's speed and compensated for it by speeding up themselves. Goten made a sharp change in his flight path, only to have the missiles copy his movements. The eleven year old warrior scowled in concentration, deciding to take this seriously for a moment. He cut his flow of ki that held him aloft and spun around in mid-air to face the incoming missiles with his hands already glowing with golden balls of ki. His extreme horizontal velocity kept him airborne long enough to fire both ki bolts and the resulting shock wave from the explosion allowed the pint-sized powerhouse to ride it like a wave before gunning his ki again and rocketing off into the distance to assist Tien. Trunks dealt with his remaining missile by slowing down slightly to seriously gauge the projectile. It wasn't an explosive that was triggered by impact, it contained some kind of sonar equipment that made the explosives detonate when they reached a pre-determined distance from the target. That way the missile could be used to set fire to an atmosphere, explode on impact or be used to engage a smaller target like Trunks. The boy recognised this in an instant and decided to deal with his missile by using it to harm the enemy. He tensed his muscles as he let his ki flow through him, before executing his technique.

"Multi-form!" he grunted, with a second Trunks, just like the first in every way splitting off from his creator. The real Trunks fazed out, moving faster the naked eye could see. The remaining Trunks didn't even blink. He simply changed his trajectory from a horizontal flight path to a vertical dive. Trunks' doppelganger rocketed straight down and into the thick of the enemy hoard with the missile following closely behind him. The copy landed and promptly self-destructed, creating a fairly powerful explosion that instantly killed more than a few enemies. With it's target no longer in sight, the missile simply continued on in a straight path. Unfortunately for the army, that straight line happened to be right in the middle of their ranks. The missile detonated exactly three metres above ground level, vaporising most of the army. High above, the real Trunks smirked—not unlike his father, Vegeta—and sped off to help Goten once again.

Vegeta was more than handling his situation, but his only problem with his current position was that he was stuck babysitting Roshi, flying around, trying to keep the enemy off his own back while at the same time trying to keep as much of the hoard away from Roshi was possible.

Meanwhile, the approaching barrage of mortar fire was tearing it's way straight towards Goku, Yamcha, Tien and Krillin. They scattered, trying to evade the onslaught. Goku continually fazed in and out, using his speed to avoid the explosions and projectiles. Krillin took flight with Yamcha, flying away from the prospect of a fiery death. Tien tensed and channelled his ki, bringing up his hands in front of him into a position unique to a special technique.

"Tien, wait!" shouted Krillin, realising what the taller man was about to do. But it was too late, Tien roared and let loose his most powerful technique into the sky filled with mortars.

"KIKOHO!" A massive square shaped blast erupted from Tien's hands, flying through the sky and vaporising all of the incoming projectiles. Tien's face was coated in sweat as he let out a heavy sigh after finishing his ultimate technique. The Kikoho technique was certainly powerful, but it shortened his lifespan and left him physically drained.

"Sir! We're out of ammunition!" Shouted a corporal to the green-skinned general.

"_Damn it all! What now?_" he thought. The general wasn't able to make another decision, because right at that moment, he heard a voice behind him.

"No more..." said the deep, even voice. The general whizzed around to face the voice's owner behind him only to have a green fist embed itself in his face, making it inverted and bloody. The gurgling bloody mass that used to be the general's face was gone the next second when his attacker, who was revealed to be a Namek, obliterated him in a brilliant flash of heat and light.

"MASENKO!" roared Piccolo, erasing the general (as well as the three or four officers at his side) from existence. The remaining high-ranking officers scattered in all directions, some giving into their fear and attempting to flee, only to be taken out by either Vegeta or Trunks and Goten. Other's prepared for a final stand, snapping into a tight formation with every member already powered up and ready to fire upon any that dared come close. The remaining survivors that didn't try to flee or make a stand simply killed themselves rather than have their lives taken by the enemy. Whether it was firing small bursts of energy into their own heads, making a bloody mess on the ground or gunning their ki and flying with all their might right into the ground, thereby crushing themselves (apparently, they had run out of enough ki to generate a sufficient blast with which to kill themselves); it made a horrible mess on the floor of the Time Soul Room. Vegeta and Piccolo dispensed with the mortar crews and any stragglers not in formation. All that remained was the fifty or so survivors that had huddled together in a ball, much like sardines hiding from sharks. Only a single high-ranking officer now lived, with only half a dozen elites with all of the rest mere grunts and recruits. The field captain scowled in frustration as he regarded the situation. He looked to his left and saw the Saiyan and Namek finishing off what was left of the mortar crews. To his right he saw Trunks and Goten begin to circle the cluster of soldiers. Below what was left of the army was the rest of the enemy beginning to make their way to the survivors. He began to sweat, his body going through chills as he could not find any alternatives to death or his despicable natural ability.

"_Fuck it, I'm going to die anyway, I might as well make a spectacle of it..._" he thought to himself, allowing a small smirk to appear on his face. He scanned the cluster of soldiers for another member of his species. He found none. "_Perfect..._" he grinned even more. The captain outstretched his arms and screamed, his voice carrying for miles as he let loose his massive reservoir of ki all at once, creating a bubble of bright blue that engulfed his terrified comrades. The bubble expanded until it engulfed them all, and he smirked once again. Never had his technique trapped so many victims. The result was going to be more than interesting.

"!" he screamed, the bubble rapidly shrinking and dissolving his prey, the many bodies searing and binding to the inner core of the captain. As fast as it had begun, the technique was over, the captain giving off a little smoke, but unharmed. But his comrades were nowhere to be seen.

"Shit, it's one of those filthy idiots!" spat Vegeta, recalling the captain's species. He remembered that his people were able to absorb their victims' bodies (and by extension, their strength, power, intelligence and life-force). This particular captain had just absorbed over fifty people, thereby boosting his power exponentially. This could potentially pose a serious threat to even the Saiyan prince. The arrogant prince snarled and fired off a barrage of ki blasts at the offending enemy before rocketing at full velocity towards his now much more dangerous adversary with his first already braced for impact. The massive explosion was powerful enough to make the captain flinch for a split second, but he easily blocked Vegeta's blow with his open hand. Vegeta's mouth gaped open in disbelief, his body frozen in striking position.

"Hehehehehe...you're screwed, little monkey!" sneered the arrogant officer, now revealed to have gained a massive increase in power. The officer wheeled around his leg and flipped over end to catch the unfortunate Saiyan with a bone-shattering axe kick. The captain's leg caught Vegeta in his midsection, sending him flying down towards the ground at twice the speed of sound. Vegeta's defences were down, if he impacted the ground at this velocity, he would fracture his spine and be rendered incapacitated. Luckily at the last second, he was caught by Goku, now powered up into full-powered Super Saiyan. Vegeta, who had been expecting a painful crash landing, gasped in both surprise and relief; before allowing his trademark scowl to return to his face.

"This doesn't change anything, Kakarot..." he muttered, his pride soundly wounded. Goku didn't blink, he simply stared at the powerful adversary floating in the distance. Goku could feel the enemy's power, easily out-classing even himself in his current state. Goku was already powered up to a level beyond Super Saiyan and it simply wasn't enough to take him on in a fight for more than five minutes. Goku landed on the ground with everyone else and set Vegeta onto his feet, ignoring the prince's rough rejection of his help.

"What now? This guy is just insane! There's no way we can take him on!" wailed Krillin in despair. Tien and Piccolo both scowled in frustration. Roshi lowered his head in deep thought, knowing that he had been outclassed again. Trunks and Goten however were not worried at all. In fact, they bounced over to Goku and reminded him of their trump card.

"Dad! We got this, we know fusion! Remember?" piped up Goten, beaming. Goku's serious expression didn't change; he was deep in thought. He regarded the enemy, his position not changing. Good. He wasn't ready to engage them yet, that gave them some time. They had only a few tricks left, and even fusion at it's maximum power was a bit of a stretch. Goku could only come up with one solution that could destroy their latest enemy. He remembered something that the evil overlord, Frieza, had said during their encounter on Namek. Goku proved too powerful for him, so Frieza had decided to improvise.

~Flashback~

Goku floated in the green Namek sky, facing the evil tyrant known as Frieza. The despicable villain that had invaded Namek for it's dragon balls, wanting to wish for eternal life. Goku and his friends had ruined his plan, so Frieza had taken revenge on him in the most personal way. Goku's anger pulsed as the alien warrior sneered at him. But then Goku's anger turned into horror as he witnessed Frieza's last-ditch effort to destroy the upstart Saiyan that dared to defy him.

"Sometimes it's the smartest that wins, not the strongest..." he drawled before raising his arms and charging up his signature technique. A massive ball of pure negative energy primed for destruction. Before Goku could react, Frieza hurled his technique not his Saiyan adversary, directly at the planet's surface. Goku gasped as he realised the true purpose of this technique.

"DIE PLANET! DIE!" screamed Frieza, firing the dark energy directly at Namek's core, making it dangerously unstable. "Looks like you have a real challenge, Saiyan. You have five minutes to defeat me. Both of us can survive the explosion...but I can breathe in the vacuum of space and you can't. Even if you kill me, you will die on this planet along with your comrades!"

~End of Flashback~

"Vegeta, you were in Freza's Army one, right? Do you know much about that guy's species?" asked Goku. Vegeta's expression became one of deep thought, trying to figure out what the other Saiyan was thinking.

"Ahh!" Vegeta realised what Goku wanted to know, remembering how Frieza's species prided themselves on the natural ability to survive in the vacuum of space. "He can't survive without oxygen, if we destroyed this place, he's dead!" announced the prince. It was a dangerous idea, but it was the only plan they had. Everyone except Goku, Vegeta and Gohan gasped or frowned at the very idea of this plan. But they all agreed to it.

"The only problem is that we need to keep him distracted for about while..." muttered Vegeta.

"Leave that to us! If we use fusion, we can stay in Super Saiyan Three for at least thirty minutes." advised Trunks.

"Fine. You two keep him busy while the rest of us will wipe this place from existence. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got." said Goku, making sure that everyone else knew the plan. Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin were charged with covering Trunks and Goten with ranged attacks, while Gohan, Goku and Vegeta utterly destroyed the dimension; leaving nothing. Roshi, unable to fly like everyone else, was left to sit this one out, and help anyone if they became injured.

"We're going to need explosions strong enough to rip through the local space-time. If we generate enough power here, we could set off a chain reaction that messes with the atmosphere." reasoned Gohan.

"It's decided, let's get this over with." grumbled Piccolo, already beginning to power up. Trunks and Goten scrambled into position while everyone else found theirs. Goku and Gohan flew straight upwards while Vegeta flew backwards.

"Fuuuuuuuuuu..."

"Fuuuuuuuuuu..."

"Siiiiiooooonnnnnn..."

"Siiiiiooooonnnnnn..."

"HA!" Trunks and Goten completed the preparation for the Metamorese art of Fusion, combining their powers, bodies and minds into one being. A flash of light gave birth to Gotenks, who promptly powered up straight into Super Saiyan Three. Golden light emanated from him, static electricity surging all over him. His long, spiky mop of golden hair draping down his back flowing behind him as he took off towards the waiting enemy. Piccolo and company immediately fired off hundreds of of bolts of energy, all of them locking onto the captain. The air was thick with flying balls and beams of energy. The captain simply smirked as his world became ablaze with colour and the prospect of another fight. Gotenks flew towards him, his face set with determination and concentration. Goku, Vegeta and Gohan immediately set to work launching massive pulses of ki in all directions, aiming for the ground and into the distance. The captain saw this activity and realised with shock what they were up to.

"NO!" he snarled, refusing to let them defeat him with such a cheap tactic. He attempted to fly straight towards Vegeta, intending on bashing his face inwards, but he was blocked by a wall of destructive ki, courtesy of Piccolo. Gotenks kept the enemy busy while everyone hindered his mobility with ranged attacks. Meanwhile, the three saiyans prepared for their most powerful techniques. They were going to need a substantial amount of ki in order to destroy this dimension. Already powered up to the absolute peak of their current fighting limit, they let loose their doomsday techniques. Gohan dropped a sweat as his technique erupted from his hands.

"KAAAAAAAAAMEEEEEEEEE...HAAAAAAAMEEEEEEE...HAAAAAAAAAA!"A huge river of bright blue energy, the give-away appearance of the Kamehameha wave, thundered into the ground, the non-soil surface of the dimension beginning to buckle and warp under the pressure.

"FINAL...FLLLLAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHH!" Roared Vegeta, a vain on his forehead threatening to rupture. The technique was well worth the effort, with the massive wave of golden energy hitting the same area as Gohan's Kamehameha wave.

"Genki Dama! AWAY! Shouted Goku, filling the sky with a moon-sized ball of ki that was aimed directly at the weakened and distorted space. The enemy captain was caught in a fistfight with Gotenks, but that didn't stop him from catching sight of a colossal ball of energy.

"NO! I will not be cheated like this!" he exclaimed, cursing his misfortune. He didn't have long to gather his thoughts however, his split second distraction earned him a punishing blow from Gotenks directly in his face. Despite the drastic measures that the captain had taken, it was all for naught. He was the very last surviving soldier of over twenty-thousand people. He was doomed. Barely ten seconds later, Goku's trump card reached ground level. The induced Armageddon was at hand. With their jobs complete, Goku, Gohan and Vegeta sped off towards their comrades at full throttle. Gotenk's had only thirty seconds until his fusion period ended, but he managed to get in one more significant blow directed into the enemy's midsection, causing him to fly backwards, stunned and unable to recover quick enough to avoid hitting the ground. He impacted into the ground and his body succumbed to shock, rendering him temporarily paralysed and allowing everyone to huddle into a group, ready to be transported back to Earth before the dimension collapsed in on itself like a star going supernova. They all stood there in a group, looking back at their doomed adversary before promptly vanishing in a flash of light milliseconds before the airspace they were occupying became warped and distorted as even basic physics collapsed. They reappeared back safely on Dende's lookout, the eternal dragon above them, still waiting for a second wish. Dende, Bulma, Chichi and company waiting about for their loved ones to return. Upon their sudden appearance, most of them gasped in surprise. Bulma flung herself into Vegeta's arms, only to be (surprisingly gently on Vegeta's part) brushed aside.

"We did it!" exclaimed Gotenks, right before his fusion period expired and promptly became Goten and Trunks once again.

"I'm so glad you're all safe! I thought it would have been too much for you this time!" said Dende, his brow furrowed in concern. "Should we wish for something else? Shen Long is still waiting..."

"I don't know... I don't think we need anything right now." Goku, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

Before anyone could make another move however, their airspace was invaded by yet another intruder. In a brilliant and colourful flash of light, he appeared in the sky above their heads. His face covered in sweat and fixed into an expression of rage and exhaustion.

"It's him! He survived!" Screamed Tien, indicating to the battered captain that had given them so much grief in the Time Soul Room. Everyone gazed up at the alien and felt his power, he had returned with a vengeance. He had proven himself to be far more resilient than the Z Warriors had anticipated.

"Hehehe" chuckled the captain, relishing in the looks of horror and shock he was receiving from the people that had tried to trap him in that accursed dimension. He raised his open hand, gathering his energy and pointing it directly at the families of the warriors that had dared to defy him.

"Let's see you get out of this one, you filthy Saiyans! He screamed. But right at that second, his attack was cut short when an unknown force penetrated his midsection and a fist exploded out of his chest. Purple blood flecked the captain's shocked face, his eyes already counting his enemies, trying to see which one had managed to sneak up behind him. All were accounted for, and judging by everyone's equally shocked expression, they were just as surprised to see this turn of events. The captain, strained and fought against the enormous pain that ripped through him to turn his head and face his attacker. But he did not see the killer's face, as his attacker was clothed in a heavy travelling cloak with a large hood that hid his features. Whoever this warrior was, he had taken him by complete surprise and had won. The captain coughed one last time, spraying himself with blood before expiring.

"What the hell...?" Vegeta muttered to himself. _"I can't feel his ki...is he an android?"_ Their unknown saviour withdrew his bloodied arm from the dead soldier's midsection and tossed the body into the air, before unleashing a sizable blast that instantly incinerated the corpse, leaving only ashes. The hooded warrior then turned to face the people he had saved and cut his flow of energy, allowing him to fall and land on the surface of Dende's Lookout. Krillin and Chiaotzu gasped at the new person's appearance and while Chichi and Bulma wailed. Everyone else just scowled, trying to figure out just what the new guy's intentions were. Goku, Vegeta and Gohan regarded the mysterious warrior with a mixed sense of unease and admiration at his apparent prowess. The local atmosphere seemed to be thick with a feeling of mystery as the new person simply stood there, unmoving in front of everyone. Goku, ever friendly, was about to thank the man and ask for his name, but before he could utter a word, the mysterious cloaked man slowly raised his hand above his head, as if to quiet the Saiyan.

"Uggghhh..." started Goku, finding the situation awkward. The silence was crushing, until it was broken by the booming voice of Shen Long, who was still hovering over the lookout.

"VERY WELL. ALL OF THE PEOPLE HERE EXCEPT FOR KAMI-SAMA AND POPO WILL BE MOVED TO THE DIMENSION YOU CALL 'HEAVENLY CASTLE'. YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!" The dragon's eyes glowed a final time at the last sentence. Everyone wore an expression of utter astonishment. The mysterious warrior had made a wish with the dragon, apparently telepathically!

"Oh shit..." muttered Vegeta, realising what had happened.

"Wha..." started Gohan, catching on like Vegeta. "This cannot be good..." But Gohan's thoughts were interrupted when his comrades began disappearing around him. Chiaotzu and Goten were gone in front of his eyes. Krillin had just enough time to gasp before vanishing himself. Goku knew that they were being moved to somewhere, but he didn't think that the new mysterious person had hostile intentions. He simple grinned in anticipation as the thought of an incoming battle dawned on his mind. Vegeta smirked, also getting the same vibes; his Saiyan blood already pumping. The last sight everyone saw was the eternal dragon glowing brightly, the mysterious warrior motionless and Dende oddly calm with what was happening. Seconds later, everyone—including the families and hangers-on of the Z Warriors vanished. Dende and his assistant Mr. Popo stood there, facing the new warrior that had saved them. Dende had not become concerned at this turn of events, as he had received a clear aura that gave off the exact opposite of killing intent. Quite the contrary, the new arrival clearly had a plan for them.

"Dende-sama, who is this man?" asked Mr. Popo. Dende wasn't sure, but he intended to find out.

"What is your business with my friends, sir?" asked the guardian.

"..." The man did not utter single sound, but he raised his arm and pointed his finger directly at the guardian.

"N-N-No! It's rude to point at someone like that!" Began Popo, stuttering from nervousness.

"It's quite alright, Popo. I understand now." The guardian said no more, leaving Popo more than a little confused. "Very well, my friends are in your hands." Said Dende, nodding at the warrior before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Dende and Popo had only a few seconds before Shen Long, the dragon still hovering above also simply vanished along him. Dende and Popo were left standing by themselves on the empty lookout.

"Dende-sama...what has become of Goku and his friends? Dende stared into the distance, apparently deep in thought.

"They are about to face their biggest challenge yet...I hope they survive..." Dende contemplated the possible outcomes of this new development, but was unable to find a serious answer. Whatever Goku and the others were about to encounter, they were in for one hell of a serious ride!

And so there you have it, readers! The second explosive chapter! Now that Most of Dragon Ball Z has been introduced, who will be next? Watch this space! Until next time!


	3. The Power of Darkness

_Brace yourselves! Here comes the third chapter of the newly re-written Strongest Under the Heavens!_

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters portrayed in this fan-made story other than any original characters._

**Chapter III**

**The Power of Darkness**

"_**Peace is a lie, there is only passion.**_

_**Through passion, I gain strength.**_

_**Through strength, I gain power.**_

_**Through power, I gain victory.**_

_**Through victory, my chains are broken"**_

_**-The Code of the Sith-**_

_**-Tython, Deep Core**_

In the far reaches of deep space, a galaxy teeming with many diverse forms of life existed. This galaxy, far, far away was home to some of the strangest and most wonderfully fascinating beings. But what took place in the deep core of the galaxy is what peaked the interest of a silent, robed individual in a small, one-manned ship. He was on a mission to seek out the most powerful beings he could lay his hands on, and to take them back to the domain of his master. Only those that excelled were of interest to this man. Right now, he was in orbit around a small planet near the centre of the galaxy, waiting. He did not have to wait for long, as another small one-manned ship rocketed past him, oblivious to his own craft courtesy of his cloaking device. The passing ship was piloted by a tall, muscular bald man in his mid-thirties. This man had a dark and overpowering aura about him that made him a prime target of the silent servant. On the passing ship was the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Bane; a master of the dark side of the unfathomable natural energy known to all inhabitants of the galaxy as the Force. Bane was one of the last remaining survivors of his kind; having killed most other Sith by tricking them into their own deaths. Those that did not fall into his psychological web of deceit were dealt with direct and swift precision. Darth Bane and his apprentice were the only remaining Sith in the entire galaxy. Only two against a legion of Jedi; the polar opposite of the Sith and self-appointed guardians of justice and the innocent. Bane had sworn to destroy the Jedi, but his plans required centuries of preparation—something that his short human lifespan could not provide unaided. That was why he had travelled to the deep long-uninhabited regions of the galaxy looking for knowledge of the ancients. Bane had devoted the better part of a decade to create his own Sith Holocron, a small device that kept all of his knowledge and experience intact for generations to come. It was more than a simple data-storage unit—it was a vital part of teaching future Sith of his ideals and knowledge directly from the source, avoiding the inevitable corruption his words through centuries of use. His search for the lost knowledge that was required to create his very own holocron was (hopefully) lying in wait in the abandoned fortress of a long-dead Sith Lord. Bane's ship approached Tython's atmosphere and the landing procedures beginning to activate. Bane grunted as he sat down into the pilot's seat as the ship prepared to enter the atmosphere.

"_What?_" Bane thought he could sense something. But the feeling was gone as soon as he tried to single out the source. Bane mentally dismissed the fleeting blip on his mental radar and focussed on the task at hand. Aside from the passing Sith Lord's ship, the hours passed by uneventfully. The dark and frigged loneliness of space was the silent man's only companion until his solitude was interrupted by another, much faster ship following the same trajectory as the Sith Lord. This ship was evidently piloted by the Dark Lord's apprentice, Zannah. Unlike her more experienced master, she did not sense the hidden servant at all. What caught the servant's attention however, was that the Sith Apprentice was being followed by another ship with a cloaking device. Interesting. This could prove very advantageous for the servant's plans. Bane and his apprentice Zannah were very secretive individuals, having hid themselves from the Jedi for nearly ten years and allowing their sworn enemies to believe that the Sith had become extinct. But the Servant could sense that the ship following the Sith Apprentice were indeed Jedi. This hooded man in black robes grinned. This was his chance to catch the Dark Lord and his apprentice while his attention was focussed elsewhere. The servant gunned his ship's engine and flew towards the coordinates at which all three ships had landed on Tython's surface. As the servant broke through the upper atmosphere and below the cloud-line, with a massive block-shaped fortress appearing over the horizon. As the servant grew closer to the fortress, he saw two ships parked outside the largest entrance, with the third carrying the Jedi ship just now touching down in pursuit of their Sith adversaries. The Servant waited until all five Jedi aboard the third craft disembarked and split into two groups to attack the Sith inside from both entrances. Just as the Jedi made their way to attack, the servant could feel the dark energy of the two Sith inside soar to massive levels. Their power was monstrously huge and threatened to make the servant pass out from simply trying to gauge such dark power. A second later, the Jedi burst through both entrances simultaneously and attacked the Sith. While five versus two may seem unfair to most, it actually held the Jedi at a disadvantage due to the enormous power that the Sith wielded. Not wanting to miss the action, the hooded warrior landed his craft beside the others with the cloaking device still activated and opened the exit. The man pelted out of the rear access ramp and ran towards the nearest doorway of the fortress to watch the battle taking place inside. The servant could see a large, open room alight with dancing bright lights, the give-away sign of lightsaber combat. In the middle of the room was Darth Bane taking on two Jedi Masters with a ruthless (almost reckless) approach. Darth Bane had an advantage that made him almost completely invincible. Bane's body was host to a parasitic crustacean that had spread to much of his visible surface area. While normally such an infestation would not be considered a good thing, it was in Bane's case. These crustaceans were known as Orbalisks, a strange parasite who's shell was resistant to the blade of a lightsaber, allowed it's host to regenerate damaged flesh and exponentially boosted Bane's immune system. This allowed Bane to withstand the blows of the enemy without even feeling the heat from their lightsabers. Bane was charging forward right into the two Jedi that had focussed their attention on him. They were slightly taken aback when they found that their Sith adversary had chosen to adopt an all-attack-no-defense approach to the fight. The two Jedi hastily tried to defend themselves while trying to find a way to stop the onslaught from the juggernaut Sith Master. The first Jedi master to take on the towering Sith was a female Echani wielding twin blades of a brilliant blue, right before her comrade assisted her with his own elegant golden blade that matched his hair. Bane's apprentice had taken the complete opposite approach to this fight, also taking on two Jedi at once, but opting for an all-defence strategy. Her Jedi adversaries were a giant of a man sporting a massive double-bladed lightsaber over four metres long and a young, lean man with a green blade and a look of determination about him. Zannah's all-defence strategy relied on her techniques that re-directed her opponents' strikes rather than directly blocking them. Zannah's tactic of avoiding the full brunt of these attacks allowed her to bide her time and wait for her enemy to become frustrated or impatient and make a fatal mistake that the female Sith was only too eager to exploit. Zannah had taken a strategy of pure defence, realising that the situation she was in suited her perfectly. The giant man with the double-bladed weapon was far too advanced for her defences by himself, but he was constantly forced to change his rhythm and attacks in order to either protect or avoid injuring his mediocre ally. Zannah could have killed the lean man with the sloppy lightsaber skills at any time, but his painfully basic skills as a swordsman was more of a help to her than his towering comrade. With this stalemate, the Sith Apprentice was able to simply wait until her master had killed his own adversaries and came to her aid. The fifth and final Jedi was revealed to be a support healer rather than a warrior, as he hung back and used his powers to boost the resolve and concentration of his comrades. But then, the servant noticed a dramatic change in the battle,

"Johun! Sarro! We need reinforcements!" shouted one of the Jedi engaged in combat with Bane.

"Go, I can handle this one." stated the giant man as he stood up to his full height, preparing to unleash his full, unbridled skills against his much smaller opponent. The younger and leaner Jedi leapt away from his duel with Zannah and focussed his attention on Bane along with the other Jedi. Their aim was to stop the Sith master from reaching the meditating fifth Jedi that was supporting them with his battle meditation. With three adversaries to deal with, Bane found himself on the defensive as all three Jedi simultaneously attacked only his face, realising that it was probably the only part of his body that was not protected by obralisks. The three-against-one fight was at a draw. While he was on the defensive, Bane absolutely refused to give even a millimetre of ground to his opponents, his sheer determination and hatred for the Jedi fuelling his power. The Jedi also didn't give ground, their efforts amplified by battle meditation and the addition of a third ally. While he had been a hindrance in to his comrade in the fight against Zannah, his attacks were easily anticipated by the female master at his side, allowing her to use his movements to her advantage rather than to keep pulling back to avoid hitting him instead of their Sith enemy. With her keen eyes and superb fighting sense, the female master caught a glimpse of a fault in Bane's defences. There was a tiny gap between the man's armoured gloves and the orbalisk armour that inhabited his wrist. The fault was minuscule, but the Jedi master managed to exploit it with a hasty blow that severed Bane's tendons, but failed to completely sever his hand from his wrist. Bane howled in fury and pain, his weapon slipping from his lifeless fingers and dropping to the floor with a clatter. Refusing to give in to the Jedi, Bane used his other hand to send a massive blast of Dark Side energy at his opponents before any of them could exploit his moment of weakness and kill him while he was unarmed. Bane had used the force to launch the three Jedi up to ten metres away, leaving nothing between him and the only advantage that the Jedi held in the battle: the meditating Master Worror, still deep in concentration. The Jedi watched in surprise as Bane's damaged hand began functioning normally again as if nothing had happened to it, his lightsaber called forth from the floor with a rough jerk of the Force into his waiting grip as he approached the defenceless Jedi master before him. Worror was unable to lift a finger to save himself, as Battle Meditation required his undivided attention. However, seconds before Bane could end Worror's life, the Ithorian master was pushed aside by the light side power of the force from one of the three Jedi before his blade could find it's mark. While Bane had failed to end the Ithorian master's life, he had indirectly succeeded in breaking his precious concentration. The massive reservoir of Force energy that Warror had been channelling into his allies was gone and all of the Jedi were now consequently without the vital support they needed in order to survive their battle with the Sith powerhouse. Zannah took full advantage of this turn of events, using the split second that the giant man took to glance over in Worror's direction to cast her powerful Sith Sorcery, creating an illusion of unspeakable terrors that drove her enemy half insane with fear and desperation. He slashed at empty air in a vain effort to try and destroy the demons conjured by his own imagination and brought to life by Zannah's sorcery. This distraction made it all too easy for Zannah to end his life with a quick slash from her lightsaber to his chest. Zannah rushed to her master's aid, concealing her presence from the enemy Jedi and striking against them while they were distracted. Zannah cut down the female master from behind, running her through with her blade. Bane took the opportunity of enemy's shock as they turned to see their female comrade fallen to dismember the younger Jedi with the green blade, severing his hand. With only one Jedi left standing against him, Bane simply ended the fight by decapitating his head from his body. Bane then turned to the unarmed Ithorian and slashed his throats, mortally wounding him before turning his attention to the whimpering, pathetic Jedi missing his hand. With his hatred building inside of him, Bane slowly walked to the defenceless young Jedi with his Dark Side powers soaring to new heights as he prepared to unleash a massive blast of lightning fuelled by his frustration and resentment. But the servant noticed that the Ithorian, despite being mortally wounded, was just about to trap Bane in a barrier technique that would turn Bane's lightning against him, encased in a bubble of pure energy that would act as a containment field and possibly ending the Sith Master's life as he was caught in the terrible maelstrom of his own technique. Finally deciding to intervene, the servant fazed out as he moved faster than could be seen by the naked eye. He re-appeared right behind Bane, his presence surprising both Zannah and her towering master. Bane spun around, believing that a sixth Jedi had somehow escaped his senses, intending to sever his head from his torso as he had done with the other Jedi Master. The servant merely ducked in order to avoid the incoming crimson blade and pulled a razor-sharp katana from the folds of his cloak. The servant did not strike Bane, however, he slashed at a spot at the master's feet, his steel blade meeting flesh as it ended the life of the mortally wounded Ithorian master, who had been seconds from grabbing Bane's leg and activating his technique. The Ithorian's blood splattered in an arc across the floor and adjacent wall in a sickening line that began to drip slowly. Bane and Zannah's eyes were wide with shock as the robed man leapt over the crumpled Jedi missing his hand and plunged his bladed right through his skull, snuffing out his life with a sickening crack as his cranium gave in to the steel blade of his katana. Silence followed as the robed sword-wielding man slowly turned to face the two Sith unsure of the new arrival. Bane tensed his muscles and gritted his teeth, preparing for any assault that may come his way. Zannah brought up her lightsaber into a defensive position, also prepared. A few seconds of tense silence passed, the low hum of the drawn lightsaber blades the only sound that penetrated the air. In the next second, the man brought up his arms up to chest-level, his palms open and his finger spread. The air in front of the man seemed to shift and crackle with static electricity. Before anyone could react, the space between the two Sith and their new potential enemy became occupied by another man. It was a young Zabrak dressed in the garb of a Sith Apprentice. But what made his appearance truly distinctive was the fact that his face and neck (and probably the rest of his body) had been tattooed with an intimidating display of red and black: the colours of the Sith. Bane was taken aback as the new man bared his yellow teeth at him. This man wielded the power of the dark side just as he did, but the style of his Sith robe was unfamiliar, his stance not unlike his own style. This man knew the exact same Sith discipline as himself. A second later, the Zabrak drew his blade. It was unusually long, which Bane and Zannah both instantly recognised it to be a double-bladed weapon. The man turned on both blades and growled slightly before hurling himself into combat. He savagely took on both of them at once, his blade slashing through the air furiously as he tried to end the lives of his opponents. The fight didn't last long, however. Bane pulled back, realising that the man, while intimidating in his appearance, was no match for him. Zannah pressed forward instead, furiously matching the Zabrak's speed and savagery, quickly ending the battle in a short, yet intense flurry that finished with the man crumpled on the ground, his throat sliced open and his jaw agape in surprise. Zannah and Bane were amazed again, as the body of their enemy promptly disappeared from existence, his form fading into thin air. Their attention returned to the robed warrior, his hands spread open again. Another new form began to take shape in front of him as the very air began to grow thick with Dark Side energy. A robed man who was clearly a human in his late sixties also dressed in the robes of a Sith appeared. What made this one different from the previous adversary was they he very clearly wore the robes of a Sith Master. Next to him, another, much taller figure started to take form, it's shape was humanoid but somehow abnormal. As the new man finished appearing, it was revealed that he was cybernetically altered. His automated breathing filling the room as the foreboding and intimidating presence of the new man was brought to life by the robed man standing behind him. Finally, a third form took the shape of a young man in his twenties and sporting twin blades already drawn. He was hunched over, his forehead covered in veins that threatened to burst and his face displaying a look of absolute rage. All three men standing to face Bane and Zannah radiated with the power of the Dark Side. Then, the youngest of the group gave into his rage and screamed as he charged forward with his twin blades slashing intricate patterns in the air. The taller man walked calmly towards them, it appeared that he was physically unable to run. The older man that was obviously a master of the Sith arts cackled, his crooked teeth revealing themselves as he brought up his wrinkly, scarred hands and unleashed a torrent of Sith Lightning that burst forth in a maelstrom of terror. Zannah was occupied with the furiously determined young man howling and grunting as he met every one of her blows with a solid block and counter-attacked with a savage swing of his own. Bane had just enough time to unleash his own barrage of lightening to counter the other man's onslaught, thereby cancelling out the attack with an equal measure of force. But a technique of this level and potency required the use of both hands, the human form simply unable to handle the amount of Dark Side energy needed to created such a terrible force from one hand. With both of Bane's arms vibrating and buckling from the feedback as the force lightning of his enemy battled for dominance over his own technique, the tall mechanical man slowly advanced, his red blade drawn and pointed right at Bane's chest. Bane reached deep within himself and let his hatred flow. He gathered up the typhoon of bubbling hate, pain and rage that always lied within him and unleashed it all at once. Bane roared in pure rage, his eyes and bald head covered in bulging veins as he let loose his power in a massive wave that emanated all round him. The shock wave exploded from his body and enveloped everything. Zannah had only a split second to leap away from her adversary and hastily protect herself with a force shield that buckled and crackled as it threatened to shatter in the wake of Bane's terrifying onslaught. The lightning of the enemy master was simply absorbed by the shock wave, succeeding only in making the technique stronger. The tall, dark cyborg didn't utter a sound as his body was shattered and blown apart by the force of the shock wave, stripping his body bare and leaving only his bare, broken bones in the air before they collapsed to the ground in a heap. The same fate was given to the younger man, his flesh and tendons ripped from his frame as he screamed in agony, his skeleton being the only part of him spared from the destruction. The wave of pure Dark Side energy hit the force shield of the enemy master, his robes rushing and swirling as if caught in a hurricane. He grunted and groaned as he fought with every ounce of his power to keep himself alive from the horrible power of Darth Bane. A few seconds later it was all over as the old man screamed in frustration, his resolve wavering as his shield began to buckle and warp. The man's force shield shattered into pieces and his body was at the mercy of Bane's shock wave. Bane gave one last roar and amplified his technique, directing all of his hatred and power onto a single point. The old man's body was blasted by a gargantuan amount of Dark Side energy. So powerful was this blast, that the resulting effect on the old man's body was far more than stripping his flesh from his bones. His entire body simply shattered; flesh, sinew, blood and bone scattering into tiny pieces of ash and dust into the wind. The technique was over when Bane was sure that he had succeeded in obliterating his enemy. He gasped slightly, his muscles and joints aching and protesting from the immense strain they had been put under in order to accomplish such a devastating move. The Sith Master was sweating profusely as his body began to give in to fatigue and exhaustion. He was almost at his limit. He was beginning to question his ability to survive this encounter with the mysterious robed man with the primitive bladed weapon. Luckily for Bane, the new arrival didn't make a move against him. Instead, he simply spoke in a deep booming voice that radiated authority.

"So...it seems that I have indeed found the right man..." muttered the robed man, indicating to Bane. If the Sith Lord was surprised in any way, he didn't show it. He simply scowled, not saying anything. Zananh, also unsure about what to do next decided to speak up and confront the man.

"What the hell do you want, stranger?" she demanded, brandishing her lightsaber threateningly. She was still wary of the robed warrior summoning another enemy against them.

"What I want is not the question." stated the robed man in a flat, emotionless tone. "I come before you according to the bidding of my master's wishes. He has charged me with seeking out the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Bane, and his apprentice, Zannah." He never changed the pitch, emotion or tone of his voice, speaking as if he were an incredibly life-like droid that had not mastered human-like speech software. A small beep sounded from within the depths of the mysterious ambassador's cloak; the source of the noise revealed to be a wrist-mounted communicator of some kind.

"Target located. Initial contact with subjects made. Results: satisfactory. Mission-phase two will be carried out immediately" sounded a synthesised voice from the man's wrist-communicator. "You have passed the necessary requirements set by my master, Lord Bane. You and your apprentice are to accompany me to an even greater test. If you are able to pass through the trials before you, you will be rewarded with what you desire most in your heart. Master knows of your desires. Master will provide." He stated. Zannah, still trying to get over the shock of what had happened in the last few minutes suddenly realised that she had left her cousin locked in the storage room to her right; having sought to keep the unarmed man out of the way. She snapped out of her shock and walked over to the closet and unlocked the door, only to find a sight that left her with a brief stab of remorse. Darovit, her cousin had apparently been killed by Bane's devastating shock-wave. While the door that protected the room was made of twelve-inch durasteel, it had not been a barrier at all to the horrible effects of the blast of Dark Side energy that had partially torn parts of the man's flesh from his body. He had died an agonising death with large chucks of his body roughly ripped from his bones; unable to move or help himself, he had bled to death. Zannah felt a small feeling of remorse for her next of kin, but dismissed it in the next second; reminding herself that she was a Sith, and had long ago cut her ties to her family and any worldly attachments. She silently grabbed the unharmed holocron of Belia Darzu, the prize for which Bane had come to this remote planet and pocketed it before shutting the door and returning to her master.

Bane had been listening to the being that had now introduced himself to the dark lord as a servant of a powerful ruler somewhere in unknown space. If Bane was to accompany this servant to his planet of origin and compete in a tournament that would test his abilities to the limit. He did not want to risk any more exposure to the outside world that might cause more Jedi to come looking for him, but the potential benefits on offer greatly outweighed the risks. He knew that the servant was not lying, being able to sense the intentions of others with the Force, thereby catching his interest in the stranger's offer. If Bane was to gain immortality, he could exact his revenge on the Jedi and the Republic by himself! He could become the embodiment of the Dark Side of the Force, taking his time in setting his plans in motion. He could plot for centuries without being discovered. Of course, this notion made his entire "Rule of Two" plan redundant and his apprentice would no longer be needed. Bane knew that while his apprentice held absolute loyalty for him, she would attempt to strike him down in a heartbeat if she got wind of an incoming betrayal. Treachery was the way of the Sith, but the apprentice was meant to destroy the master, in order to keep the cycle of the Rule of Two alive. Bane had taken in Zannah as an apprentice for the sole purpose that she would someday surpass him, destroy him, and replace him with an apprentice of her own. But with immortality, Bane wouldn't need Zannah in order to carry on the legacy of the Dark Side. Zannah was willing to lay down her life for her master if need be, but only on the condition that she would one day take his place as Dark Lord of the Sith. Zannah would need to accompany Bane in order to keep her from getting her suspicions aroused, but at the same time Bane had to keep his true intentions hidden. Though this was incredibly difficult, with Zannah specialising in stealth and reconnaissance, Bane felt that he was more than capable.

"Alright...lead the way, and we will follow." grunted Bane, earning a look of apprehension from his apprentice, having returned from retrieving his holocron.

"_What is he thinking? Does he want us to be exposed?" _Thought Zannah, her suspicions becoming aroused. She pondered the possibility of her master's intentions, but she could not find a viable reason for his willingness to accompany a complete stranger. She inwardly shrugged off her doubt, rationalising that her master had never once failed her before, therefore she believed that she would have no reason to doubt him now. Zannah hid her apprehension and nodded silently, agreeing with Bane and holstering her weapon. The robed man also sheathed his blade, before turn and silently walking towards the exit, motioning for the Sith to follow in his wake. Bane took one last look around the battle-damaged room. Scorch marks, body parts and smouldering corpses littered the floor. The walls had become cracked and were still slightly smouldering from his attack earlier. The corpses of the Jedi laid where they had died; each one had a permanently frozen expression of shock or anguish, their last moments reflecting the violent nature of their deaths. With a final mental dismissal, Bane and Zannah followed the mysterious stranger outside and caught sight of his spacecraft. Bane's expression never changed, but his mind went into overdrive as he instantly recognised it to be no existing model on any craft-market in the known galaxy. Either this craft was custom-built, or it originated from somewhere in unknown space. Bane looked over to the other three craft sitting beside the man's own. There was Bane's own ship, sleek, silent and built for stealth. There was Zannah's stolen ship, christened _Loranda_, having been stolen from a billionaire a few months prior. And lastly there was the official-looking republic vessel, sporting the prominent red and white paint, signifying the colours of galactic diplomacy. The robed man motioned for Bane and Zannah to board his craft, making his intentions clear on leaving the others behind.

"You will not need them. After meeting with my master, you will be returned to this place, and you may do as you wish with the other vessels. But for now, you must accompany me on my own craft."

Bane nodded, purposefully striding up the ramp with Zannah following closely behind him, and with the hooded man bringing up the rear. Before long they were strapped into chairs and taking off from Tython, leaving the other three ships where they were; knowing that they would remain undisturbed for a century, of need be. Zannah, starting to feel a sense of wonder and anticipation of what lay before them looked over to her master, her expression instantly and silently communicating her thoughts. Bane immediately understood his apprentice, the two of them having fought together for a decade and knowing each other's emotions. Bane simply filled himself with an honest sense of intelligent curiosity, looking forward to what may lay ahead, knowing that the mysterious warrior that had found them was of no ill will to them. Bane simply decided to spend the journey in silent meditation, preparing himself for the near future. What would he accomplish? Would it really be possible to gain immortality? What "trials" did the warrior speak of? Bane, being the headstrong, yet intelligent man he was, tended not to dwell to heavily on questions he couldn't answer himself. He simply waited for the answers to come to him.

_Well there you have it peoples! Another chapter for you all to enjoy. Again, this has been an appallingly late update, but I have a good excuse this time. Having gotten myself a new job recently, I had an accident at work and long story short, I was unable to use my fingers for a good few months. But that's all ok now, so expect more updates soon!_

_-Kuzon77_


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